CBC announced Tuesday the two-part documentary Speechless from Emmy Award-winning Canadian filmmaker Ric Esther Bienstock will air commercial-free on CBC TV on April 14 and 15 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT), and will also be available to stream on CBC Gem as of 9 a.m. ET on April 14.
A CBC and Documentary Channel original produced in association with BBC, Speechless (two episodes x 90 minutes) will also premiere in the U.K. on BBC Storyville and iPlayer.
“Filmed on campuses in the U.S. and the U.K., the documentary brings together years of investigation and on-the-ground filmmaking to…
Continue Reading
The CRTC told Cogeco in a letter last week to maintain TekSavvy’s access to its network, after the latter informed the commission that Cogeco was on the verge of decommissioning copper facilities that TekSavvy currently relies on to provide internet service to customers in Ontario.
The CRTC has instructed Cogeco to continue providing wholesale access to TekSavvy either by maintaining existing hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) wholesale infrastructure at four Ontario locations targeted for decommissioning or by providing TekSavvy access to newly installed fibre facilities at the current HFC available speed and…
Continue Reading
By Ahmad Hathout
Rural broadband service provider Xplore is asking the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development to pause authorizing SpaceX’s use of the E-band until international standards are established for co-existence with ground mobile wireless networks.
The American aerospace company filed a request with Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) in December requesting that it be able to utilize the E-band (71-76 GHz downlink and 81-86 GHz uplink) for fixed satellite service (FSS) communications between its satellites and gateway earth station located at Saint-Laurent, Quebec and Janet, Alberta, which are currently serving users via the Ka-band. The E-band…
Continue Reading
Rogers’s new TV services Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery and Magnolia Network have exceeded 210,000 subscribers, making them no longer exempt discretionary services.
As such, the CRTC has approved an application from Rogers Media for broadcasting licences to operate the five TV services, the licences for which will expire on Aug. 31, 2026.
Rogers acquired the Canadian programming and brand rights to Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery and Magnolia Network from Warner Bros. Discovery in the summer of 2024. Corus Entertainment and Bell previously held these Canadian programming rights.
Continue Reading
Rogers last week filed a trademark application with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) for computer chatbot software for simulating conversations and providing customer service.
The trademarked name for the AI virtual assistant software is to be “STARGAZE” or “STAR GAZE.”
Rogers is looking to have the trademark cover not only computer chatbot software but also: authentication services; consultancy and information services in the field of computer system integration, data integration, data migration and cloud automation; data encryption services; platform as a service (PaaS) offering a software platform to train computers to predict…
Continue Reading
By Ahmad Hathout
Internet service provider Fibernetics is asking the CRTC to stop Eastlink from decommissioning legacy facilities it relies on to provide service to customers in Nova Scotia.
The wholesaler said in a Part 1 application, made public Thursday, that it was notified in February that Eastlink was completing a technology upgrade in Sydney that would transition its network from coaxial to fibre by September 1, meaning its third-party internet access service (TPIA) would no longer be available for two of Fibernetics’s customers.
Fibernetics claims it asked Eastlink to either suspend decommissioning until after the CRTC makes a Continue Reading
By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC said Thursday it is eliminating fees that it believes are keeping customers stuck in internet and wireless service plans.
The regulator said it is targeting fees on activation, changing and canceling of those plans – with some exceptions. The fees will continue to apply where a subsidized device is provided by the wireless service provider – which represents a real cost to the business – and in a situation where the internet service provider is doing an installation at the customer’s home.
“If you were to buy or purchase a cellphone through a service provider, we already…
Continue Reading
Bell has withdrawn its April 2025 undue preference complaint against Telus after the two companies recently reached an agreement regarding the distribution of Bell Media’s discretionary services Oxygen True Crime, USA Network, CTV Nature, CTV Speed and CTV Wild.
Bell had previously alleged Telus was unduly disadvantaging Bell Media’s new channels — rebranded as a result of Rogers’s blockbuster deal with Warner Bros. Discovery in June 2024 — alleging Telus had given undue preference to Rogers’s newly launched channels in some of its TV packages.
The resolution of Bell’s channel distribution…
Continue Reading
Rogers announced Tuesday its Fido customers are being upgraded automatically from 4G LTE to 5G at no additional cost and with no plan change required.
Starting March 10, new customers joining Fido will now get 5G included on their plan from day one, Rogers said in a press release. Existing Fido customers with 5G-compatible devices can experience the reliability and faster speeds of 5G with the automatic upgrade, which is expected to be completed March 18.
Rogers said “virtually all” Fido customers are being upgraded to 5G, except those with Basic plans or…
Continue Reading
By Ahmad Hathout
The Federal Court of Appeal has turned down an appeal by Rogers challenging two CRTC decisions forcing it to freeze movement of certain Corus channels it argued was within its contractual right to repackage and remove.
Following a hearing in September, the high court ruled Thursday that Rogers cannot change the terms of its agreement with Corus after the initiation of a dispute because that would be contrary to the standstill, which requires that the status quo be maintained until the dispute is resolved.
“If, following a dispute, Rogers could invoke any provision…
Continue Reading
